Elho returns to the fashion market

Elho is back: the legendary German ski and sportswear brand is returning to the market this autumn. Behind the relaunch is Donald Schneider, a globally sought-after creative director and fashion designer with offices in Zurich and Berlin. He has gathered a team of industry experts to help him re-establish Elho.

The launch will take place on the DACH markets in October. However, the hype surrounding the relaunch has been building up for a while. Last winter, freestyle ski champion Andri Ragettli wore, tested and posted eye-catching looks from the upcoming first autumn/winter 2024/2025 collection. He is the brand’s first ambassador and partner. Ragettli is also a social media megastar, his videos have up to 300 million views.

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky saw Andri Ragettli at the X-Games in Aspen, where he wore one of the special “Jean-Michel Basquiat x Elho” looks from the upcoming collection. The management of both artists contacted Schneider and his team, who then sent Rihanna and A$AP Rocky some test styles and reaped an enthusiastic and wide-ranging response.

Utilising the power of social media to create hype and excite the younger generation is part of Donald Schneider’s strategy for Elho. He has already created Game Changers with celebrities like Beyoncé, David Beckham, Kendall Jenner. And in 2004, when he came up with the idea for “Karl Lagerfeld x H&M”, the first major global designer collaboration – which heralded the era of collaborations and still resonates today.

Elho was regarded as a progressive cult label from 1970 until well into the 90s. They were the first to introduce neon colours, jet trousers and the freestyle look. Donald Schneider and his team want to develop a brand new version of Elho without neglecting its heritage – a visionary fusion of performance, innovative design and bio-based materials.

“Over the past few years, I’ve always had the idea of founding my own brand in the outdoor and street style sector. When the opportunity to acquire the worldwide brand rights of the legendary and long-forgotten skiwear and activewear brand Elho came up, I immediately jumped on the opportunity and made the deal,” Donald Schneider tells FashionNetwork.com.

“Elho has an incredible heritage, was always ahead of everyone, invented neon colours, jet pants, the first down jackets in Central Europe and they were the first with the eye-catching colourful freestyle look,” enthuses Schneider.

The label has dressed the German Olympic team twice in the past. The logo alone is legendary. Now Schneider wants to reach the young target groups of Gen Y, Z and Alpha – the next freestyle generation.

“With Elho, we want to become their brand, for performance in the mountains in all weathers and at the same time for the city as a new look to combine for every day,” emphasises Schneider during the interview. 

The focus is on performance, design and bio-based materials. The key piece for the launch is the “Nova” performance bomber jacket, which can be worn from autumn to spring, whether in the city or for snowboarding action in the mountains. The “3-layer-padded” model with bio-based materials is designed to withstand even extreme weather conditions. 

Other highlights of the first collection include the lined, extra-wide “Angel” jet trousers, the “Hill” fleece jacket and the “Satellite” fleece trousers.

In addition to black and military green, new neon colours such as coral neon and purple neon dominate the colour palette. Collab’ capsules such as the one with Jean-Michel Basquiat for the launch in October with bomber jackets, trousers and accessories are intended to raise awareness of the re-branding. Another artist collaboration for spring/summer 2025 is already in the works.

The roll-out throughout Europe, the USA and Asia is also already at the top of the Elho agenda. 

Schneider also wants to break innovative, perhaps even new ground in sales: “We are a year-round brand and are launching our first collection on October 1. For this launch, we are focussing on Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy. On the one hand with our own online shop and on the other with wholesale partners.”

At the launch, 20 selected stores are on board that have purchased the first collection, including Breuninger, BSTN, Corvatsch and Sportler. Elho is represented by the sales agency Melagence (including Arc’teryx Veilance, Perfect Moment).